Modular building block system

ABSTRACT

The system and method for the modular construction of three-dimensional structures, and more particularly, to the use of the three-dimensional structures as furniture, storage, and toys. The structures comprise a plurality of panels, rods, and connectors. The structures are made up of one or more inter-connectable blocks. The blocks may have parallel or perpendicular joints. The blocks may be of the same or of different sizes. Numerous accessories are also possible for the modular structures.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/515,794, filed Jun. 6, 2017; the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This invention relates primarily to modular construction structures, andmore particularly to their use as furniture, storage, and toys.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The technical problem addressed by this invention is that widely usedfurniture and toys are built for a single purpose and normally discardedwhen such function is no longer needed. A child's chair, for example,will likely be disposed of or sold when the infant no longer fits thefurniture. In addition, voluminous goods often require lots of packagingand space to be shipped to stores or customers. While some modularsolutions with compact packaging are available in the market, they oftenhave limitations of use and/or shapes.

One advantage of the system of the present disclosure is that it allowsfor unlimited applications while at the same time providing aestheticdesigns and flat packing. In addition, its modularity, scalability, andsimple assembly stimulates creativity and teamwork. The combination ofthese characteristics makes the system timeless and environmentallyfriendly, given the building blocks may be used and reused indefinitely.The system of the present disclosure is not a single product but rathera platform, with unlimited possibilities of individual building blockdesign, assembly combinations, and accessories.

The panel and rod construction enables simple or complexthree-dimensional structures that are light and easy to manufacture,especially due to the two-dimensional cut of the panels. The system ismore flexible than Lego or similar stacking systems. In some cases, theinvention enables any planar face of a resultant block to be attachedand secured to any face of another block.

Wherefore it is an object of the present disclosure to overcome theabove-mentioned shortcomings and drawbacks associated with conventionalfurniture, storage, and toys.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One aspect of the present disclosure is a modular building block systemcomprising a plurality of flat panels, rods, and releasable connectors,for use in building three-dimensional structures. In certain cases,panels include cavities where rods can be attached. In some cases, thecombination of two panels and a plurality of rods create hollowthree-dimensional blocks. These blocks may be used individually in aplurality of applications, or assembled into larger structures throughthe use, but not exclusively, of loop connectors or clip connectors.

The system can rely on a kit of parts that can be assembled,disassembled, and reassembled in different ways. One aspect of thepresent disclosure is a modular building block system comprising atleast two flat panels, a plurality of rods, and one or more connectorsto assemble into at least one three-dimensional structure.

The at least two panels of the system can include cavities where theplurality of rods can be attached. In some cases, the plurality of rodsare fixed to the at least two panels through the use of bolts andinserts, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plurality of rods. Insome cases, the plurality of rods are fixed to the at least two panelsthrough the use of pins, or bolts and inserts, perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the plurality of rods.

Additionally or alternatively, the system can comprise a combination oftwo parallel panels and a plurality of rods attached via connectorscreates a hollow three-dimensional block. One or more blocks may be usedin a plurality of applications.

Additionally or alternatively, the system can comprise the one or moreblocks which may be assembled into larger structures through the use,but not exclusively, of loop connectors or clip connectors. Blocks ofdifferent sizes and shapes, may be assembled together. The at least twopanels of the system can have slots, or openings, cut parallel to eachpanel edge to enable modular and scalable assembly. Depressions on anexternal panel surface, together with openings and studs, enable stableblock stacking. Openings and depressions follow a standard pattern toenable modular and scalable assembly.

Additionally or alternatively there is provided a modular building blocksystem comprising at least two flat panels, a plurality of rods and oneor more connectors to assemble into at least one three-dimensionalstructure comprising blocks, the system having a standard patterncomprising: a base panel unit having one slot, or opening, in the middleof each base unit panel edge; panels one size increment larger whencompared to size of the base unit have a long straight edge that isdouble the size of the base unit panel edge; panels larger than the baseunit include step down openings, aligned with a line of openingsincluded in the base unit; non equilateral panel sizes increase suchthat the length of the long straight edge is double the length of apanel one size smaller; and openings and depressions in the panelsenables stacking with edge-to-edge panel alignment or center-to-centerpanel alignment.

A planar face of a block may be connected to a planar face of anotherblock according to three possible types of block-to-block connections:panel-to-panel, panel-to-rod and rod-to-rod.

The blocks can comprise different shapes including: equilateraltriangular prism; cube; rhombus prism; pentagonal prism; hexagonalprism; octagonal prism; cuboid; trapezoidal prism; parallelepiped prism;kite prism; quarter cylinder; semi-cylinder; cylinder; annulus sector(circular ring) block; quarter elliptical block; semi-elliptical block;elliptical block; and blocks with non-geometrical shape panels. In somecases, blocks with non-geometrical shape panels comprises petals, animalshapes, parts of animal shapes, mandala shapes, oblongs, chevrons, andothers.

Studs present at the bottom of one block can fit into depressions andopenings on the top of another block. Studs can be an extension of a rodend or disks attached to the panels. Studs can provide clearanceprotection to panel surfaces, anti-slip capability to blocks, grip andstability to blocks placed on soft surfaces, or a combination thereof.

Additional cavities may be added to panels for rods to be used asspacers between two or more stacked blocks. A plurality of accessoriesmay be attached to the blocks including, but not exclusively: fabricpanels; thin flat panels; nets with frames; panel padding; rod padding;rod grips; patterned covers; buttons; wall mounts; and block feet. Insome cases, the feet may be screwed on.

These aspects of the disclosure are not meant to be exclusive and otherfeatures, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will bereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read inconjunction with the following description, appended claims, andaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of thedisclosure will be apparent from the following description of particularembodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which like reference characters refer to the same partsthroughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily toscale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 1A shows a kit of parts according to the principles of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 1B shows a resultant small size block assembled from the kit ofparts shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A shows a cross sectional view of two stacked base unit cubeblocks according to the principles of the present disclosure, withparallel joints.

FIG. 2B shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A shows a kit of parts according to the principles of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3B shows a resultant medium size block assembled from the kit ofparts as shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of a medium cube block according tothe principles of the present disclosure, with parallel joints, on aninclined plane, kept stable by the friction between the stud and theplane.

FIG. 5A shows a cross sectional view of two stacked medium cube blocksaccording to the principles of the present disclosure, with paralleljoints, on top of an irregular and soft surface.

FIG. 5B shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A shows a cross sectional view of two stacked medium cube blocks,according to the principles of the present disclosure, withperpendicular joints, on top of an irregular surface.

FIG. 6B shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A shows a standard pattern applied to various sized panelsenabling alignment and stacking of different size panels according tothe principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B shows an asymmetrical rod having different end portionsaccording to the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows different combinations of stacked blocks of various sizes,where combined height matches the size of a medium size cube accordingto the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 shows examples of equilateral medium size blocks according to theprinciples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows examples of non-equilateral medium size blocks accordingto the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows examples of non-geometrical panel shapes according to theprinciples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 shows examples of three types of block-to-block connections:panel-to-panel, panel-to-rod, and rod-to-rod according to the principlesof the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 shows examples of accessories for certain blocks of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 14 shows a medium cube block according to the principles of thepresent disclosure providing stacking compatibility a smaller blockthrough grooves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring first to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one example of a kit of parts and aresulting assembled block according to the principles of the presentdisclosure are respectively shown in these figures. More specifically,FIG. 1A shows a basic kit of parts for assembling a base unit (small)cube block. According to the system of the present disclosure, simpleelements can be easily manufactured and combined with one another toform complex structures.

The kit of parts comprises flat panels which typically are planar piecesof board made of one or a combination of flat materials such as wood,plywood, laminates, polymers, and the like. Each of the flat panels 1provides a working surface for the system. As generally shown, each oneof the flat panels 1 include circular holes 26 located adjacent each ofthe four corner areas of each flat panel 1, and the circular holes 26extend completely through the flat panel 1. Each circular hole 26 servesto secure a respective rod 2 to the flat panel 1, as discussed below.Each circular hole 26 is spaced a small distance, e.g., 0.5 to 1 inch orso, from both of the adjacent side edges of the flat panel 1. Each flatpanel 1 further comprises a pair of openings 25 in the center of thepanel that can be used to secure one panel to another panel when in astacked arrangement, which will be discussed in more detail, below.

On a first side of the flat panel 1, the circular hole 26 is countersunk (see the lower panel 1 in FIG. 1A) so as to form a depression d orcavity which receives a first end of a respective rod 2. The oppositeside of the flat panel 1 has smaller sized hole (see the upper panel 1in FIG. 1A), which is generally concentric with the depression orcavity, on the opposite side of the panel 1, and is sized to permit athreaded end of a threaded fastener 3 to pass therethrough and engagewith the respective rod 2, but prevent the head of the threaded fastener3 from passing through the smaller sized hole.

As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, a central portion of each end of therod 2 may have a bore which is sized to captively receive and retain aninsert 4, manufactured from metal or plastic, for example, within thebore. The insert 4 has an internal threaded bore which is sized tomatingly receive and engage with a threaded end of a threaded fastenersor bolt 3. The metallic insert 4 may be glued or otherwise permanentlysecured inside the bore to permanently retain the insert 4 within thebore. In addition, each opposed end of one of the rods 2 typically has aslightly reduced diameter which is sized and shaped so as to fit intoand be received by the depression or cavity formed in the first side ofthe panel 1. In some cases, the larger diameter of the rod 2 forms ashoulder which abuts against the first side of the panel 1 and thusprevents further insertion of the rod 2 into the depression or cavity inthe panel 1. After the reduced diameter of the leading end of the rod 2is closely received within the depression or cavity of the panel 1, athreaded fastener 3 then passes through the smaller sized hole, locatedon the opposite side of the panel 1, and engages with the threaded boreof the insert 4, retained within the end of the rod 2, to secure the rod2 to the panel 1. Each one of the remaining three rods 2 is connected tothe panel 1, in the other three corner areas of the panel 1, in asimilar manner.

Thereafter, the respective depressions or cavities, formed in the firstside of the second panel 1, receive and engage with the respectiveopposite ends of each one of the four rods 2, in a similar manner.Lastly, a respective threaded fastener 3 then passes through therespective smaller sized hole, located on the opposite side of the panel1, and engages with the respective with the threaded bore of the insert4, retained within the respective ends of the rods 2, to connect eachone of the rods 2 to the panel 1 and complete assembly of the small sizeblock 14, as shown in FIG. 1B.

Still referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, each one of the panels 1 for thebase unit includes one centrally located slot 21 which is along eachside edge of the panel 1 equally spaced from the two adjacent cornerareas of the panel 1. Depending upon the actual size of the panel, eachone of side edges of the panel 1 may have one, three, or seven openings,for example, or any other desired number of openings, formed along eachside edge of the panel 1. Each slot extends parallel to the side edge ofthe panel 1 and is typically spaced between about 0.25 inches and about1 inch or so from the side edge.

As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 12, a coupling member, such as a strap11 or a clip 12, can be passed through a pair of overlapped and alignedopenings to facilitate releasable coupling of the two adjacent orabutting panels 1 together with one another (see FIG. 12), as will bedescribed below in further detail below. As generally shown in FIG. 7A,for example, each one of the openings, formed along a side edge of apanel 1, are axially aligned with one another (See, e.g., 21, 22, 24).

As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, and 5A, 5B and 5C, preferably thethickness of each panel 1 is sufficiently thick, e.g., between 0.75 and1.5 inches, so that the small hole, which receives and engages with thehead of the fastener or bolt 3, is deep enough so that the head of thefastener or bolt 3, once secured to a respective rod 2, is recessedwithin the small hole and thus provides space for receivingsubstantially ½ of a disc 7 while substantially the remaining other ½ ofthe disc 7 may be received within the small hole of the overlapped andadjacent panel 1, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 5B, or engage with a texturedsurface, as shown in FIG. 2C, FIG. 4, and 5C, to prevent, or minimize atthe very least, any relative movement between the two three-dimensionalblocks 14 or the three-dimensional block 14 and the mating supportingsurface.

It is to be appreciated that the panels may have any geometric or othertwo-dimensional shapes as shown, for example, in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11.With the advent of Computer Numerical Control routers, the panels can beeasily cut from a standard sheet of material in large scale. In somecases, one blank sheet may be cut into panels of the same shape or mixedshapes.

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 3B, rods 1 work like columns or legs, toconnect panels 1 together with minimum volume. The format of the rodends (“male”) match those of the panel cavities (“female”). Rods provideheight and strength to the resulting three-dimensional blocks 14. Forsome applications, the length of the rods 2 may be increased so as tospace the two panels 1 further away from one another, e.g., theresulting three-dimensional blocks 14 is “taller,” while for otherapplications, the length of rods 2 may be shortened to so that the twopanels 1 are spaced closer to one another, e.g., the resultingthree-dimensional blocks 14 is “shorter.”

Studs may be an extension of a rod end 6 or separate disks 2 may beinserted into the panel depressions. In some cases, studs fit into theopenings and depressions, providing alignment for stacked panels. Inaddition, studs provide protection to lower panels by keeping aclearance distance from the surface below the block 3. Studs may alsoprovide grip to soft surfaces 4 and anti-slip capability 5 to the block.See, for example, FIG. 4 where a cross sectional view of a medium cubeblock according to the principles of the present disclosure, withparallel joints, on an inclined plane, is shown being kept stable by thefriction between the stud and the plane.

As shown in the figures, the system of the present disclosure comprisespanels, rods and connectors. When disassembled, these form a compactpackage, reducing the associated packaging and transportation costs.When assembled together, they enable hollow three-dimensional blocksthat are strong and lightweight, which can be used for multipleapplications.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a cross sectional view of two stacked base unitcube blocks according to the principles of the present disclosure, withparallel joints of FIGS. 1A and 1B is shown. FIG. 2B shows an enlargedview of area 2B in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C shows an enlarged view of area 2Cof FIG. 2A. More specifically, releasable connectors may be used. Insome cases, bolts 6 and inserts 7 secure the connection between a rod 2and a panel 1. Threaded inserts 4 may be fastened in holes in the endsof rods 2. In another case, bolts 3 are tightened parallel to the rodaxis. When the bolts 3 are released, the blocks can be disassembled.

In the system of the present disclosure, rods are connected to panelswith two possible types of joints. In some cases, each block will haveonly one type of joint, depending on the choice of panel material andapplication. Joints can be assembled, disassembled, and reassembledrepeatedly and indefinitely. For both types of joints, rod ends mayeither be cylindrical with smaller diameter, or tapered.

Referring first to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a kit of parts and a resultingassembled medium block according to the principles of the presentdisclosure are respectively shown in these figures. More specifically,FIG. 3A shows a basic kit of parts for assembling an equilateral mediumcube block. According to the system of the present disclosure, simpleelements can be easily manufactured and combined with one another toform complex structures.

The kit of parts comprises flat panels which typically are planar piecesof board made of one or a combination of flat materials such as wood,plywood, laminates, polymers, and the like. Each of the flat panels 1provides a working surface for the system. As generally shown, each oneof the flat panels 1 include circular holes 26 located adjacent each ofthe four corner areas of each flat panel 1, and the circular holes 26extend completely through the flat panel 1. Each circular hole 26 servesto secure a respective rod 2 to the flat panel 1, as discussed below.Each circular hole 26 is spaced a small distance, e.g., 0.5 to 1 inch orso, from both of the adjacent side edges of the flat panel 1.Additionally, there are holes 27 located on the panel for the mediumblock that are spaced to interact with the corner holes in a small baseunit block, for example (See, e.g., 26 in FIG. 1A).

On a first side of the flat panel 1, the holes are counter sunk (see thelower panel 1 in FIG. 3A) so as to form a depression d or cavity whichreceives a first end of a respective rod 2. The opposite side of theflat panel 1 has smaller sized hole (see the upper panel 1 in FIG. 3A),which is generally concentric with the depression or cavity, on theopposite side of the panel 1, and is sized to permit a threaded end of athreaded fastener 3 to pass therethrough and engage with the respectiverod 2, but prevent the head of the threaded fastener 3 from passingthrough the smaller sized hole.

As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, a central portion of each end of therod 2 may have a bore which is sized to captively receive and retain aninsert 4, manufactured from metal or plastic, for example, within thebore. The insert 4 has an internal threaded bore which is sized tomatingly receive and engage with a threaded end of a threaded fastenersor bolt 3. The metallic insert 4 may be glued or otherwise permanentlysecured inside the bore to permanently retain the insert 4 within thebore. In addition, each opposed end of one of the rods 2 typically has aslightly reduced diameter which is sized and shaped so as to fit intoand be received by the depression or cavity formed in the first side ofthe panel 1. In some cases, the larger diameter of the rod 2 forms ashoulder which abuts against the first side of the panel 1 and thusprevents further insertion of the rod 2 into the depression or cavity inthe panel 1. After the reduced diameter of the leading end of the rod 2is closely received within the depression or cavity of the panel 1, athreaded fastener 3 then passes through the smaller sized hole, locatedon the opposite side of the panel 1, and engages with the threaded boreof the insert 4, retained within the end of the rod 2, to secure the rod2 to the panel 1. Each one of the remaining three rods 2 is connected tothe panel 1, in the other three corner areas of the panel 1, in asimilar manner.

Thereafter, the respective depressions or cavities, formed in the firstside of the second panel 1, receive and engage with the respectiveopposite ends of each one of the four rods 2, in a similar manner.Lastly, a respective threaded fastener 3 then passes through therespective smaller sized hole, located on the opposite side of the panel1, and engages with the respective with the threaded bore of the insert4, retained within the respective ends of the rods 2, to connect eachone of the rods 2 to the panel 1 and complete assembly of the block 14,e.g., an equilateral medium size as shown in FIG. 3B.

Still referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, each one of the panels 1 for theequilateral medium block includes one centrally located slot 21 which isalong each side edge of the panel 1 equally spaced from the two adjacentcorner areas of the panel 1. Depending upon the actual size of thepanel, each one of side edges of the panel 1 may have one, three, orseven openings, for example, or any other desired number of openings,formed along each side edge of the panel 1. Each slot extends parallelto the side edge of the panel 1 and is typically spaced between about0.25 inches and about 1 inch or so from the side edge. Here, the mediumpanel has three openings along each edge.

As shown for example in FIGS. 2A-2C and FIGS. 5A-5C a parallel joint 8is used. There, for each rod, a panel has a pilot hole through itsthickness and the center of the hole is aligned with the longitudinalaxis of the rod. A hole with its center aligned with the center of thepilot hole is added to create the cavity for each rod. In some cases,the two ends of a rod will have a reduced diameter, compared to theremainder of the rod, such as a taper, to fit in a panel counter-boredhole. On the external face of the panel, for each rod, another set ofcounter-bored holes may be present to enable bolts to be fastened intothe inserts and still provide clear working surface. In addition, theexternal counter-bored holes may serve as depressions where studs fromother blocks can couple, and disk studs may be inserted.

Parallel joints may require separate disk studs to be added to the lowerpanels. This construction is advantageous because disks can be made withmaterials such as rubber or silicone. Parallel joints are particularlyuseful for panels with laminated materials such as plywood, thus keepingplies under compression.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a cross sectional view of two stacked medium sizecube blocks according to the principles of the present disclosure, withparallel joints, on top of an irregular and soft surface is shown. FIG.5B shows a detail view of area C, as shown in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C showsa detail view of area D, as shown in FIG. 5A.

As shown for example in FIGS. 6A-6C, a perpendicular joint 32 is used.FIG. 6A shows a cross sectional view of two stacked medium cube blocks,according to the principles of the present disclosure with perpendicularjoints, on top of an irregular surface. FIG. 6B shows a detail view asshown in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6C shows a detail view as shown in FIG. 6A.There, the perpendicular joint offers a coupling between rods and panelswhich is similar to the parallel joint, but with the followingdifferences. For each rod, a panel has pilot holes located perpendicularto the longitudinal axis of the rod. Each rod end has holesperpendicular to its longitudinal axis and aligned with the pilot holesof the panel. In some cases, a perpendicular joint requires fewercomponents and is easier to assemble. This joint enables the possibilityof using the rod end 6 as a stud. Rings or sleeves may be added betweenthe rod end and the panel cavity to compensate for dimensional variancesdue to environment conditions such as temperature and humidity. In somecases, pins 9 are an alternative to bolts when securing the connectionbetween a road and a panel. Pins 5 may inserted through holes on rodsand panels, which are perpendicular to the rod axes. When the pins arereleased, the blocks can be disassembled.

Still referring to FIG. 6A, a 3-D block 10 is defined as the combinationtwo parallel panels, connected by a plurality of rods. The connectionbetween a panel and a rod is secured by bolts or pins in two possibletypes of joints, as discussed above. A typical product package includesthe required elements to build one block. See, FIGS. 1A and 3A, forexample.

Referring to FIG. 7A, a standard pattern enabling alignment and stackingof different sizes of panels according to the principles of the presentdisclosure is shown. More specifically, standard sizes and panelpatterns provide modularity and scalability to the system. The system iscomposed of sets of blocks grouped by size, where groups are defined bythe flat panel dimensions.

A base unit 15 is the smallest building element of the system. In anequilateral medium size panel 16 has adjacent side edges which each havedouble the length of the adjacent edges of the panel of the base unit15. Accordingly, the size or area of the medium size panel 16 issubstantially four times the area or size of the base unit 15. Innon-equilateral medium size panel 11 (see the panel at the far left inFIG. 7A) will have only one longer side edge that is double the lengthof the edge of the base unit panel 15 while the adjacent (shorter) sideedge of the non-equilateral medium size panel 17 will have the samelength as the edge of a base unit panel 15. Accordingly, the size orarea of the non-equilateral medium size panel 12 is substantially twicethe area or size of the base unit 15, and substantially half the area orsize as the equilateral medium size panel 16.

Still referring to FIG. 7A, an equilateral large size panel 18 hasadjacent side edges which each have double the length of each of theadjacent side edges of the equilateral medium unit panel 16.Accordingly, the size or area of the equilateral large size panel 18 issubstantially four times the area or size of the medium size panel 16.In a non-equilateral large size panel (not shown) would have only onelonger side edge that is double the length of the edge of the mediumsize panel 16 while the adjacent (shorter) side edge of thenon-equilateral large size panel would have the same length as the edgeof the medium size panel 16. Accordingly, the size or area of thenon-equilateral large size panel is substantially twice the area or sizeof the medium size panel 15. In some cases, the system can growindefinitely, where the next size increment up will always have its longedge double the length of the long edge of the next size smaller.

In some cases, the base unit panel 15 will have one slot 13 locatedalong the middle of each straight side edge thereof. In an equilateralmedium panel 16 will have on each straight edge, in addition to themiddle slot 22, or two step-down openings aligned to the openings of twobase unit panel edges. The center of the step down openings willtherefore be positioned a quarter of the length of the panel from theclosest edge. The medium size panel with have a total of three openings14 located along each straight edge, but spaced a small distanceinwardly therefrom. Each flat panel will have an additional pair ofopenings 25 that are located in the center of the panel.

Still referring to FIG. 7A, the non-equilateral medium panel 17 willhave on each of its shorter straight edges one slot in the middle,aligned with the slot of a base unit 21. On its long straight edges, inaddition to the middle slot, a non-equilateral medium panel will havetwo step down openings 23 aligned with the openings of two base unitpanel edges. The center of step down openings will therefore bepositioned a quarter of the length of the panel from the closest edge.The non-equilateral medium size panel 17 will therefore have threeopenings 15 per longer straight edge.

In some cases, an equilateral large panel 18 will have one slot in themiddle of its edge 24 and step down openings for medium and base unitsizes. The equilateral large size panel 18 will therefore have a totalof seven openings 16 on each straight edge. The system can growindefinitely where, for each straight edge of a given size, the numberof openings of the panel size will always be double the number ofopenings of the predecessor, plus one. For all sizes, two parallelopenings equally spaced from the center of the panel 25 may beoptionally added, to enable two blocks to be secured with a singlereleasable connector.

Still referring to FIG. 7A, each block will include holes 17 on thecorners of the external face of panels to serve as depressions forstuds, as well as to sink bolt heads providing a clear working surface.For medium and subsequent sizes, holes (e.g., 27) matching the center ofthe axis of each base unit rod axis may be optionally added to enable abase unit block to be stacked on its top with center alignment. On themedium size panels 16 there is only one set of these holes in the center18. In some cases, the large and subsequent sizes follow repetitions ofthe medium panels. In addition to the edge and center openings, a largesize equilateral panel may include internal openings 19 to replicateexactly the pattern of the medium sized blocks. The system can growindefinitely where, starting from the medium panel, the next size willalways include repetitions of the pattern of its predecessor.

Still referring to FIG. 7A, one aspect of the combination of openingsand depressions, which provide cavities where the studs fit inside,enable blocks to be stacked in a variety of combinations. Two types ofstacking alignment include center-to-center 29 and edge-to-edge 30. Insome cases, center-to-center 29 provides alignment of the center of onepanel with the center of another panel. In the case when two blocks areof the same size, studs will fit into the depressions aligned with therod centers. In the case that a base unit is stacked on top of a mediumsized panel, for example, studs will fit inside the matchingdepressions. In the case that a medium unit is stacked on top of a largepanel, for example, studs will fit in the corresponding openings. Insome cases, edge-to-edge 30 provides alignment of the edge of a panelwith the edge of another panel. With this configuration, for example, upto four base unit blocks may be stacked on top of a medium sized cube.Similarly, up to four medium sized cubes may be stacked on top of alarge equilateral panel.

Referring to FIG. 7B, an asymmetrical rod having different end portionsaccording to the principles of the present disclosure is shown. Morespecifically, a rod 2 will have a length L and when a rod end 6 is to beused as a stud the rod end will be dimensioned to have a length (L₆)such that it will pass through the entire thickness of a flat panel andprotrude or extend some distance beyond a far surface of the panel sothat the rod end 6 can act as a stud. Thus, an opposed end 6′ of theasymmetrical rod will have a length (L_(6′)) that is dimensioned to beless than the thickness of a flat panel such that the opposed end 6′ ofthe asymmetrical rod will only partially extend into a hole and abutwith a rod end 6 of an adjacent 3D block 14. See, e.g., FIGS. 6A-6C.

Referring to FIG. 8, different combinations of stacked blocks of varioussizes, having combined height that match the size of a medium size cubeaccording to the principles of the present disclosure are shown. Morespecifically, the height of a block will follow multiples or fractionsof the base unit (smallest block) which enables stacking combinations inany position. For example, two layers of four base unit cubes havingbase unit panels 15 can be stacked to match the size of a medium unitblock 20. Another example would be four blocks with heightscorresponding to half of the length of the base unit, could have a totalstack size of a medium unit block 21. It is understood that thedimensions of the many flat panels (e.g. 15, 16, 17, 18) coupled withvarying length rods 2 provide for a variety of combinations of 3D blocksthat occupy the same volume.

Referring to FIG. 9, examples of equilateral medium size blocksaccording to the principles of the present disclosure are shown. Morespecifically, a plurality of three-dimensional shapes may be createdwithin the same system. In some cases, equilateral blocks are used. Anequilateral triangular prism (33) will include two equilateraltriangular panels, three rods (one at each vertex of the panel) andoptional connectors. A cube (34) will include two square panels, fourrods (one at each vertex of the panel) and optional connectors. Arhombus prism (35) will include two rhombus (diamond) panels, four rods(one at each vertex of the panel) and optional connectors. A pentagonalprism (36) will include two pentagonal panels, five rods (one at eachvertex of the panel) and optional connectors. A hexagonal prism (37)will include two hexagonal panels, six rods (one at each vertex of thepanel) and optional connectors. An octagonal prism (38) will include twooctagonal panels, eight rods (one at each vertex of the panel) andoptional connectors.

Referring to FIG. 10, examples of generic (non equilateral) medium sizeblocks according to the principles of the present disclosure are shown.More specifically, a cuboid (39) will include two rectangular panels,four rods (one at each vertex of the panel) and optional connectors. Atrapezoidal prism (40) will include two trapezoid panels, four rods (oneat each vertex of the panel) and optional connectors. A parallelepipedprism (41) will include two parallelogram panels, four rods (one at eachvertex of the panel) and optional connectors. A kite prism (42) willinclude two kite panels, four rods (one at each vertex of the panel) andoptional connectors. A quarter cylinder (43) will include two quartercircle panels, three rods (one at each vertex of the panel) and optionalconnectors. A semi-cylinder (44) will include two semi-circular panels,three rods (one at each vertex of the panel, and one opposite to themiddle of the straight edge) and optional connectors. A cylinder (45)will include two circular panels, four rods (equally distributed) andoptional connectors. An annulus sector (circular ring) block (46) willinclude two annulus sector panels, four rods (one at each vertex of thepanel) and optional connectors. A quarter elliptical block (47) willinclude two quarter elliptical panels, three rods (one at each vertex ofthe panel) and optional connectors. A semi-elliptical block (48) willinclude two semi-elliptical panels, three rods (one at each vertex ofthe panel, and one opposite to the middle of the straight edge) andoptional connectors. An elliptical block (49) will include twoelliptical panels, four rods (equally distributed on both axes) andoptional connectors.

Referring to FIG. 11, examples of non-geometrical panel shapes accordingto the principles of the present disclosure are shown. Morespecifically, in some cases, non-geometrical will include two identicaltwo-dimensional shape panels, three or four rods, and optionalconnectors. Some examples include, but are not limited to, petals (22),animal shapes (23), parts of animal shapes (24), mandala shapes (25),and oblongs, chevrons and others (26). As noted herein, a standardpattern of openings cut in the panels, parallel to its edges, enablestwo blocks to be firmly secured together through the use of releasableconnectors such as, but not exclusively, loop connectors and clipconnectors.

Referring to FIG. 12, examples of three types of block-to-blockconnections: panel-to-panel, panel-to-rod, and rod-to-rod according tothe principles of the present disclosure are shown. More specifically,modularity at the block assembly level is possible. In some cases, thesystem provides for the possibility of firmly securing any planar faceof a block connected to any planar face of another block.

Panel-to-panel 27 connections may be made. There, two blocks can besecured together when the external face of their panels are united byreleasable connectors 11, 12 passing through their openings. Another wayto connect via panel-to-panel is when two panels placed side by side aresecured with connectors.

Panel-to-rod 28 connections may be made. There, the versatility of loopconnectors enables blocks in alternate positions, one with horizontalpanels and other with vertical panels, to be secured together. In thisconfiguration a loop connector or clip connector may embrace the slot ofa panel of a first block and a rod of a second block.

Rod-to-rod 29 connections may be made. There, the connection can beachieved by the use of loop connectors, which will embrace two or morerods, leaving a clear working surface on the panels. Another advantageof this connection is that a single loop can embrace rods of severalblocks.

Interchangeability of components is provided. There, rods and panels areinterchangeable within each block size group. All base unit blocks havethe same diameter of rod ends, bolts, pins and inserts. The same is trueof all medium blocks, and within each of the subsequent size groups.This feature enables the builder to disassemble blocks and reassemble ina plurality of combinations. The feature also enables builders toacquire stand-alone parts in the aftermarket and create newthree-dimensional blocks with different height and/or shape. In somecases, additional counter-bored or tapped holes be may be added topanels so that rods can be used as spacers between two stacked blocks.

Hook and loop connectors 11 can provide the flexibility of connecting aplurality of combinations of panels and boards. An example of a hook andloop connector is a hook and loop cinch strap. In some cases, the loopconnector can embrace openings and rods at different positions, and ofdifferent sizes, similarly to a waist belt. Loops can be tied andreleased indefinitely.

Clip connectors 12 are an alternative to loop connectors. Clipconnectors may be U shaped thin parts with curved ends. One commonapplication of clips is securing panel-to-panel connections, where oneleg of the clip is inserted into the slot of a panel and the other legis inserted into the slot of a second panel 13. See, for example, FIG.12, where examples of three types of block-to-block connections:panel-to-panel, panel-to-rod, and rod-to-rod according to the principlesof the present disclosure are shown.

In some cases, the curved ends of the clip connector 12 embrace the edgeof the slot keeping the clip stable. Another application of clipconnectors 12 is in securing one block stacked on top of another block,where each leg of the clip embraces one of the center openings 25 ofboth blocks. In some cases, clip connectors 12 can be released with aslight bend of its legs and pushed out of the openings. One advantage ofthe clip connector 12 is having a design that can be easily manufacturedwith stamped metals or other materials.

Referring to FIG. 13, examples of accessories for certain blocksaccording to the principles of the present disclosure are shown. Morespecifically, a plurality of accessories is possible. In some cases, thedesign of a block, including panels with openings and rods, enables aplurality of accessories to be attached. Some examples include, but arenot limited to, fabric panels 30 comprising pieces of fabric with lacesthat can be employed to close the open faces of the blocks, wherefeatures enabled by this accessory include creation of tunnels, wallsand windows; thin panels 31 made of flat materials such as cardboard andlaminates, with openings that follow the system pattern, enable creationof tunnels, walls and windows, where the panels may be illustrated toadd educational or recreational functionality to the blocks andassemblies; nets with frames 32 can be attached to blocks to providesafety and keep things within the boundaries of a panel, without losingvisibility and lightweight of the system; panel padding 33 made of softmaterials, embraces the panel and provides impact protection to panelsas well as to people and other objects interacting with the system; rodpadding 34 made of soft materials covers the surface of the rodsproviding impact protection to rods as well as to people and otherobjects interacting with the system; rod grips 35 comprise hollowcylinder sleeves to cover parts of the rod and provide a better gripthan the rod material alone; a panel cover 36 is a flat piece of thinmaterial that can be attached, or glued on the panel surface to coverthe openings for a clear working surface or to add an illustration; andbuttons 37 are two disks connected by a small shaft which slide in thepanel slot. In some cases, wall mounts 38 may be “J” shaped metal parts,where the curved part of the mount hooks into the panel slot and thestraight face has two or more holes so mounts can be screwed into a wallor the like. Lastly, feet 39 may be added. Feet are similar to studs. Insome cases, detachable feet 67 provide panel surface clearanceprotection, grip to soft surfaces, and anti-slip capability to theblock. Different lengths of feet can be used to adjust the total heightof a block or a stack of blocks.

Referring to FIG. 14, a medium cube block according to the principles ofthe present disclosure providing stacking compatibility to smallerblocks through grooves is shown. More specifically, grooved panelsenable backwards compatibility with blocks smaller than a base unit of agiven size family. Concentric depressions with the same shape of thepanel perimeter enable stacking by providing coupling space for studs ofsmaller blocks placed on top of the grooved panel. The distance betweencenter lines of the grooves may align with the center distance betweenthe studs of blocks with half 72 or a quarter 73 of the size of a baseunit.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedin detail, it is apparent that various modifications and alterations ofthose embodiments will occur to and be readily apparent to those skilledin the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that suchmodifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of thepresent invention, as set forth in the appended claims. Further, theinvention(s) described herein is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or of being carried out in various other related ways.In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyused herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regardedas limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” andvariations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listedthereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items whileonly the terms “consisting of” and “consisting only of” are to beconstrued in a limitative sense.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosurehas been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Itis not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure tothe precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations arepossible in light of this disclosure. It is intended that the scope ofthe present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, butrather by the claims appended hereto.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the scope of the disclosure. Although operations are depicted inthe drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood asrequiring that such operations be performed in the particular ordershown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations beperformed, to achieve desirable results.

While the principles of the disclosure have been described herein, it isto be understood by those skilled in the art that this description ismade only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope ofthe disclosure. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope ofthe present disclosure in addition to the exemplary embodiments shownand described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinaryskill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

1. A modular building block system comprising: at least two flat panels,a plurality of rods, each panel having a pattern comprising a pluralityof cavities and a plurality of openings, each of the cavities beingsized for matingly receiving one end of the plurality of rods and eachof the openings being sized for receiving a connector, a plurality offasteners for securing an end of the plurality of rods to one of thepanels to facilitate assembly into at least one three-dimensionalstructure, and at least one connector for connecting thethree-dimensional structure with another three-dimensional structure. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rods are fixed to the atleast two panels through the use of bolts and inserts, parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the plurality of rods.
 3. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the plurality of rods are fixed to the at least twopanels through the use of pins, or bolts and inserts, perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of the plurality of rods.
 4. The system accordingto claim 2, wherein the combination of two parallel panels and aplurality of rods attached, via connectors, creates a hollowthree-dimensional block.
 5. The system according to claim 2, wherein oneor more blocks may be used in a plurality of applications.
 6. The systemof claim 5, wherein the one or more blocks may be assembled into largerstructures through the use, but not exclusively, of loop connectors orclip connectors.
 7. The system according to claim 5, wherein blocks ofdifferent sizes and shapes, may be assembled together.
 8. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least two panels have openings cutparallel to each panel edge to enable modular and scalable assembly. 9.The system according to claim 1, wherein depressions on an externalpanel surface, together with openings and studs, enable stable blockstacking.
 10. The system according to claim 4, wherein openings anddepressions follow a standard pattern to enable modular and scalableassembly.
 11. A modular building block system according to claim 1,comprising at least two flat panels, a plurality of rods and one or moreconnectors to assemble into at least one three-dimensional structurecomprising blocks, the system having a standard pattern comprising: i. abase panel unit having one slot in the middle of each base unit paneledge; ii. panels one size increment larger when compared to a size ofthe base unit have a long straight edge that is double the size of thebase unit panel edge; iii. panels larger than the base unit include stepdown openings, aligned with a line of openings included in the baseunit; iv. non-equilateral panel sizes increase such that the length ofthe long straight edge is double the length of a panel for one sizesmaller; and v. openings and depressions in the panels enables stackingwith edge-to-edge panel alignment or center-to-center panel alignment.12. The system of claim 11, wherein a planar face of a block may beconnected to a planar face of another block according to three possibletypes of block-to-block connections: panel-to-panel, panel-to-rod androd-to-rod.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the blocks comprisedifferent shapes including: i. an equilateral triangular prism; ii. acube; iii. a rhombus prism; iv. a pentagonal prism; v. a hexagonalprism; vi. an octagonal prism; vii. a cuboid; viii. a trapezoidal prism;ix. a parallelepiped prism; x. a kite prism; xi. a quarter cylinder;xii. a semi-cylinder; xiii. a cylinder; xiv. an annulus sector (circularring) block; xv. a quarter elliptical block; xvi. a semi-ellipticalblock; xvii. an elliptical block; and xviii. blocks with non-geometricalshape panels.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein blocks withnon-geometrical shape panels comprises petals, animal shapes, parts ofanimal shapes, mandala shapes, oblongs, chevrons, and others.
 15. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein studs present at the bottom of oneblock fit into depressions and openings on the top of another block. 16.The system of claim 15, wherein studs are an extension of a rod end ordisks attached to the panels.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein studsprovide clearance protection to panel surfaces, anti-slip capability toblocks, grip and stability to blocks placed on soft surfaces, or acombination thereof.
 18. The system according to claim 1, whereinadditional cavities may be added to panels for rods to be used asspacers between two or more stacked blocks.
 19. The system according toclaim 1, wherein a plurality of accessories may be attached to theblocks including, but not exclusively: i. fabric panels; ii. thin flatpanels; iii. nets with frames; iv. panel padding; v. rod padding; vi.rod grips; vii. patterned covers; viii. buttons; ix. wall mounts; and x.feet.